Butter-slicing device.



B. IVITSUKA. BUTTER SLICING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1913.

UNTTEU STATES PATENT FFTE.

BUNPACHI Ursem, or nseoNDIno, CALIFORNIA.

BUTTER-encino DEVICE.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, BUNraonr Irrsinn, a subject of the Emperor of Japan, residing at Escondido, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Butter-Slicing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to butter slicing or cutting devices and has for its object the provision of a device of this character adapted for use in cutting the usual pound prints of butter into the smaller rectangular pieces ordinarily served in hotels, restaurants, lunch-rooms, and the like.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a structure of this character which may be very rapidly operated and one in which the size of the pieces into which the butter is cut,I may be varied at will.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of a butter cutter or slicer constructed in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the body 5 comprises the bottom wall G and the side walls 7. The bottom wall has a longitudinally extending slot S formed therein through which the shank 9 of a headed member 10 passes, the head of said member lying on the under-side of the bottom wall 6 and said headed member being carried by a slot 11 which is upturned at its forward end l2 and attached to a follower plate 13. Detachably secured to the slide 11 is a ratchet bar 14. The reason for detachably securing the ratchet bar to the slide is to render it possible to substitute one of these bars for another, the spacing of the teeth upon said ratchet bars varying, whereby the size of the slices into which the butter is cut, may be varied at will. Jourhaled at 15 in the side walls 7, is a shaft carrying an offset crank 16. This crank has pivotally mounted thereon a pawl plate 17, the edge 18 of which engages the teeth of the ratchet bar 14C. The convolutions of a coiled spring 19 embrace shaft 15 and one end of said spring is engaged with the body 5 at 20 and the opposite end Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led May 26, 1913.

Patented Sept. 2S, 1913.

serial No. 769,973.

of said spring engages at 21 beneath an operating arm 22 that is carried by the shaft 15. It will therelkne be seen that this operating handle is held in a normally ele vated position by the action of said sin'ing and that when the spring acts to throw this handle to its elevated position after the handle has been depressed, the erank 1G will have imparted thereto, a downward and forward inrwement which will act through the pawl plate engaging the teeth of the atchet bar, to imparta feeding movement to said ratchet bar toward the right in Fig. 1.

It will be understood that the butter to be eut is disposed in front of the follower plate 13 and that when this follower plate is moved toward the right, the butter will be projected through the front of the body 5 to a corresponding extent. 'lo sever the batter longitiulinally, a wire or other cutting element 23 is disposed vertically at the front end of the body. lhis wire extends between the bottoni (l and the flange 24, of a bridging element E25, said bridging clement extending between and being secured to the side walls 7.

For severing the butter transversely, a transversely extending wire 2G extends between and is secured to the free ends of a yoke Q7. This yoke is pivotally connected to and is supported by a yoke extension QS of the ope 'ating arm 22, said pivotal connection being indicated at QS). A spring 30 extends between and is connected tothe cross bars 27 and 2S of the yokes 27 and 2S and the :function of this spring is to pull the top of the yoke 2T toward the cross bar 2S and to thereby hold the lower and free ends of this yoke into engagement with guides 81 carried by the side walls. The reason for providing this structure is that while it is desired to have the wire 26 moved by the arm 22, it is necessary that this wire move in a straight line, while the forward end of the arm Q2 moves in the arc of a circle. By providing the guides 31 and pivoting thc yoke 27 to the yoke 9,8 and connecting these two elements by the spring 30, the necessary straight line movement of the wire 2G is secured while still permitting the actuation of this wire by the arm 2Q. A guide strap 82 embraces the arm 2Q and is carried by one of the side walls 7.

The method that I preferably employ for detachably securing the ratchet bar lLt to the slide 11 is to notch the ends of this bar as at 38 kand Se, the notch 33 engaging a `screw or other headed member 35 carried by the Yslide and the notch 34 engaging the shank ofa@ turn button 36. Various m-eans of securing this ratchet bar to the slide be. re

sorted to.

`While the elements shown and described are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth, but includes within its purview such changes as may -be made within the scope of the appended claims. I l Having described my invention, what l claim is: Y

l. ln a device of the character described, the combination with a body portion comprising a bottom and'sides and having an lopen front e'nd, of an operating handle pivotedthereto,a follower, a pawl and ratchet connection between said follower and said operating handle, a yokev pivoted to said operating handle, a cutting wire carried by saidyoke and traveling vertically across the` open frontend vof the body, and a spring connected to said yoke and to a portion of said'operating handle for drawing said wire toward the'front end of the body portion.

f 2. In aV device of the character described, the combination with a body portion having an` open front end, of a swinging operating 'handle pivoted in the side walls of` said body portion, a yoke pivoted' to saidv operating handle, a cutting wirefcarried by said yoke and ext-ending transversely of the body pori tion, guides carried by the body portion, and

a spring extendingvbetween said yoke and a portion of theA operating handle for y drawing the lower portion of said yoke into engage Vment with said guides, saidvr yoke being bodily movablef with `the loperating handle Vwhereby said cutting wire is caused to travel in a verticalfstraightlinewhile'the operating vhandle `by which 1t :is carried 'travels inthe arc of a circle.

8. `ln a device of the'chara-cter described,

'bodily movable with the 'operating handleY whereby said cutting wire is caused to travel in a verticalfstraight line while the operating handle by which it is carried travels m tne arc` or a C11-cie, and avrspring normally tending to elevate said operating handle. c.

4:. In a device of the character described, the combination with a body portion comprising a` bottom and sides and having an open front end, of an operating handle pivoted thereto, a follower, a pawl and ratchet connection Vbetween said follower and said operating handle, a yoke pivoted to said op= erating handleya rcutting wire carried by said yoke and traveling vertically across the o-pen front end of the body, a spring coni nected to said yoke and toa portion; of said 'operating handle-for drawing said wireatof ward the front end of t-he bodyportion, and a spring normally holding said operating handle in an elevated position. ,c

' A.5..ln a device ofthe character described, the combination with a body `portion, of .a slide mounted therein, af follower carried by said slide, a ratchetbar removably mounted upon said slide,fanv operating handle, an offset crankcarried by said operating handle, and a pawlplate carried by said'crank and enga-ging saidra'tchetban 6. ln a device of thecharacter described, mi

the combination with ,a body portion, of a slide vmounted therein, a followerfcarried `by said slide, a ratchet bar.removablymounted upon said slide,an operating handle, an Q set crank carried by said operatingv handle, a pawl plate carried rby said 'crankand' engaging said ratchet bar, and Yspringmea-ns serving to normally c hold said operating handle in an elevated position.

7. ln axdevice of the character described, the combination with a ybody, portion, ofa slide mounted therein, ay follower; carried by said slide, a ratchet bar removably mounted upon said'slide, an operating handle, anjofset crank carriedby said operating handle, i

a pawl platecarried by said crank and en; gagingsaid ratchet'bar, anda cutting element carriedvby said operatinghandle. Y 8. ln avdevice of the character-described,

the combinationwith fa ,bodypQrtiom-,Of a

an Vopen front end, aycutting wireextending vertically acrossl said open frontend and iis fixed thereto, a horizontally extendingwire disposedacross said open frontend, ayoke ends Aof which said lattenwire extends and by which said wire is-carried, anoperatin'ghandle havingV pivotalY mounting within, the

. walls of s aid body portion adjacent therear of inverted Uform between, the terminal j end of said body portion and having its front end bent to yoke formation and embracing the first named yoke, means for pivotally mounting the first named yoke within the yoke formed by the front end of the operating handle, and a spring extending between said yokes as and for the purposes set forth.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with a body portion having an open front end, a cutting wire extending vertically across said open front end and fixed thereto, a horizontally extending wire ldisposed across said open front end, a yoke of inverted Uform between the terminal ends of which said latter wire extends and by which said wire is carried, an operating handle having pivotal mounting within the walls of said body portion adjacent the rear end of said body portion and having its front end bent to yoke formation and embracing the first named yoke, means for pivotally mounting' the first named yoke within the yoke formed by the front end of the operating handle, a spring extending between said yokes, and vertically extending guides disposed upon the outer faces of the vertical ends of the side walls of the body portion and against which the lower end of the yoke of inverted U-shape travels.

l1. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a body portion having an open front end and having a longitudinally extending slot formed in its bottom, of a slide resting upon said bottom, a headed member extending through said slide and engaging beneath the bottom, said headed member being carried by Said slide, a ratchet bar having its opposite ends notched, a fixed member carried by the slot with which one of said notched ends engages and a movable member carried by the slide and adapted to engage the other of said notched ends, whereby said ratchet bar is removably held in engagement with said slide, an operating handle having a pivotal mounting in the side walls of the body portion and comprising an offset crank lying between said side walls, a ratchet plate pivotally mounted upon said crank, a spring, one end of which engages said body portion and the other end of which engages said handle to normally throw said handle to an elevated position, and a cutting element carried by the free end of said operating handle, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BUNIACHI IITSUKA. Vitnesses:

VILLIAM H. BALDRIDGE, H. F. li-ioMrsoN.

Copies of this patent may 'be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, ID. G. 

